I’m anxious and trying to figure out what is going on as I take the seat across from Reed and his brothers while their father takes the seat at the head of the table. Mr. Winston, aka Clark, looks tired, miserable even, the deep wrinkles on his face making him look older than fifty-five. Lawyers and other important people sit along the same side as me, but I ignore them, my eyes bouncing back and forth between Reed and his father.
Clark clears his throat before steepling his fingers and leaning back in the chair like he has no cares in the world. “I’m sure most of you here are aware of why this meeting was set up, though I’m certain you haven’t the first clue as to why.” He smiles at me and I smile back, warmth filling my belly. Clark was so kind to me growing up, and now I consider him to be a father figure.
Remy snickers, saying something under his breath that earns him a dirty look from Reed. I cough to cover my own laugh, truly enjoying seeing them all together again. They each work on a different floor in the building, in different departments since their father knows as much as anyone else that putting them all together means nothing but arguing will get done. When you run a multi-billion dollar company, getting work done is kind of important.
“I think we’re all anxious to hear what’s changed, Dad.” Reed asks it in more like a question than a statement, and I wonder if he’s afraid his father decided against giving him the company.
It’s been a real fear of his and something we discussed many times, usually late at night when the worry made it hard for him to sleep. If he doesn’t take the company it will be sold to someone else, and years upon years of work will amount to nothing.
“Well, for one, my health has changed.” I sit up a little straighter at his words, a million different scenarios going through my head. Is he sick? Dying? Does he have cancer like Reed’s mom?
Concern seems to pinch all three of the men’s brows as they wait for their dad to answer. Ryker pipes up first, asking what everyone else is probably thinking. “Sick? Are you okay?”
Clark smiles lovingly at him. “I’m getting older, and with age comes illness. I won’t go into the details on the matter right now, but I have changed my mind on handing the business over and thus added some stipulations into transferring everything over to Reed.”
It’s strange how in that moment I can feel Reed’s fear as it slams into me, blanketing me, suffocating me. I feel all of his emotions and it terrifies me. He’s usually so calm and collected, and seeing him so out of sorts is strange. He always controls the situation, never letting it control him.
“What kind of stipulations? I’ll do whatever you need me to. I’m here for you and the company. You know that.” Anguish overtakes him and it takes all I have not to rush over and comfort him. I know if I do though, he won’t be happy. Reed hates office gossip, and everyone in the office already assumes we’re having sex due to all the time we spend together.
Clark’s heavy sigh is one I’ve heard many times with all the time I spent in their house when we were growing up. Anytime one of the boys did something to disappoint him, he’d make that sound and they’d all immediately feel bad and do whatever they had to so he’d be proud of them again.
But something tells me there’s no talking their way out of this one. Clark has made up his mind.
When he speaks again, the stipulation drops like a bomb. We’re all in shock. “I’ve decided I want a grandchild before the company can be transferred into your name, Reed.”
My heart slams against my rib-cage as real fear invades me. That means Reed will have to get married. He’ll have to find someone to love and my chances of being that woman will be over. It will be too late to tell him I love him.
With blurry vision and heat crawling over my skin, I want to jump up and volunteer, but I know that will only lead to rejection, and even worse losing his friendship.
Reed clears his throat, opening his mouth like he’s going to say something, but his father lifts a hand, cutting him off with one singular motion.
“I’ve made my decision, and I won’t listen to anything you have to say on the matter. Give me a grandchild and the company is yours. Refuse, and I’ll have somebody here to buy us out tomorrow.” The sound of pen against paper fills the room, and then complete silence encompasses us. I peek up at the men across the table from me, their faces full of varying emotions. Reed looks pissed, terrified and enraged. Ryker is smiling ear to ear, though I’m not sure why.
He winks when he catches me staring at him, causing my cheeks to warm and I quickly look away. My gaze moves to Remy, who seems to be out of it, not really caring what happens with the family business.
After his final words, Clark dismisses the entire room. As people filter out, him included, I remain seated, too afraid of what might occur once the room is empty. I never thought I’d see the day where Reed’s father would force him to get married and have children.
“What in the actual fuck just happened?” Reed swears, which is completely unlike him, at least when it comes to being in a work setting.
Ryker shrugs, “Dad one-upped you. Hell, he just grabbed you by the balls.” He seems overly happy for someone who just found out that his entire family's business is riding on whether or not his older brother can create a baby with another person ... and soon.
Reed pushes up from the heavy oak table, his chair slamming against the wall of glass behind him. “Shut the hell up. You’ve been on my ass since you stepped foot in the office and it’s getting old real fast.”
His eyes are wild, and with his hands balling into fists at his sides, he looks like a warrior on the way out to battle. Ryker isn’t his enemy though, even if he is doing everything he can to antagonize him. I don’t know what happened in his office before this meeting, but whatever it was, it’s made Ryker enjoy this way more than he should.
“Look man,” Ryker starts to placate him, and the smug grin on his face is too much for Reed. Before I can even blink, he’s across the room, shoving his brother into the wall and pressing his forearm against his throat. I watch, wide-eyed, as they glare at each other. Ryker leans forward, getting as close as he can to Reed, then says something in a voice too low for me to hear. Reed’s free hand curls into a fist and I know I have to act fast because he will regret this later.
My heart is pounding, but I make it over to them just in time to grab Reed’s arm. “Stop it.” I order, giving them both a disapproving glare when they both look at me. “Fighting with each other isn’t going to change anything.” My voice reflects the fact that I’m exhausted from this meeting. Not only that, but I’m hurt, and more than ready for the day to be over.
Ryker opens his mouth to say something, but I shake my head, cutting him off. “No. I don’t know why you’re going out of your way to piss off your brother, but the two of you arguing is only going to make things worse. You need to work together, figure out a way to get Clark to see reason.”
Ryker sags against the wall, contrition clear on his face. When Reed notices he’s backing down, he drops his arm and takes a step back, pulling his other arm out of my grasp when he does. I feel the loss immediately, but try not to show how it makes me feel. Reed’s rejecting me, and he doesn’t even know it. That stings.
Knowing I need to focus on the baby issue, I look between them. “Your dad can’t just demand Reed give him a grandchild. What’s he supposed to do? Call up one of his one-night stands and ask them to provide an egg? The world doesn’t work that way. Besides, he should love the person he has a child with.” I drop my eyes to the floor for a moment, my words too honest and a little too raw. When I lift my eyes back up to them, I find Ryker looking down at me, an almost evil smile spreading across his face.
“You know what? You’ve got a point. Maybe you should be the one to help my brother give Dad a grandchild. At least we like having you around.”
I wait for Reed to scoff or immediately shoot down the idea, but he doesn’t. When I turn my gaze back to him, he actually looks thoughtful. Like he might be considering his brother’s crazy idea.
“I’m not so sure about that Ryker…” I pause briefly waiting to see if Reed will say anything, and when he doesn’t I carry on. “But one way or another you can’t just force someone to have a baby. It’s immoral and not something your father would do. We need to find out what’s going on with him and what would make him give you this ultimatum. Something isn’t right here.”
Remy’s deep voice startles all three of us as he gets up from the table. “She’s right and you both know it. If the two of you want to fight about what’s happening, go for it, but it’s not solving anything. The problem starts and ends with dad.”
I smile over at him, thankful that at least one of the Winston brothers has a brain inside his head.
“It doesn’t matter, Rem. You heard Dad. He won’t listen to anything any of us say. It’s either I do what he wants or he signs the company over to someone else.” Reed’s beating himself up over this entire thing far more than he needs to be.
Maybe it’s a misunderstanding? It’s possible he’ll change his mind tomorrow. But what if he doesn’t? The thought lingers far too long inside my head.
“Well, if you aren’t going to hash it out with him you better get to posting an ad on Craigslist or Tinder…” Reed’s jaw clenches at Remy’s comment. He doesn’t like the idea of having to find someone, or maybe it’s the idea of having a baby and getting married that doesn’t sit well with him?
“I’ve screwed a lot of women, Rem. The chance of finding one that doesn’t hate my guts is slim to none. And anyone I do find I know without a doubt I won’t want her to be the mother of my children.” His eyes turn to me as he speaks the words, and I swear I feel this magnetic rope wrap around me, pulling me towards him, making me want to beg him to let me be that woman.
The one that says I do.
The one who is the mother of his children.
Our children.
But then I blink, he looks away and the moment is gone. I’m left wondering all over again if I’m seeing the things I want to see, or if it’s real because now that everything is on a timeline it won’t be long before my chance to be the woman Reed needs is gone.
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